Blooms & Books

The astilbe is blooming.

New day liles at Dan's study window.

Some of the other colors in the perennial garden.

Now to books.

Just finished The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.  What a page turner!  Even though there is a constant shift in the time period, back and forth between pre WWII England, WWII, the 60s and present day, it builds the suspense and mystery.  It's worth reading a second time in the near future despite now knowing how it all comes together.

The last Agatha Christie I read The Sittaford Mystery was not up to the standard you'd expect from her.  Maybe it was the editors who failed to keep the story believable.  For example, there is huge snowstorm at the start of the story such that roads are impassable.  But how is it in less than a week's time characters are taking walks on the moor or sitting at open windows?  I'm still on my quest to read all her books.  I have less than 20 to go.

Finally, I revisited an old childhood favorite The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett.  I took it on vacation to read and enjoyed it.  I think as an adult I had a better idea picturing the garden she finds since now I'm a gardener.

Vegetable Garden at the Start of Summer

Spent the morning in the vegetable garden today.  Here's from the gate looking in.

This first bed has 4 tomato plants that I purchased and a row of radishes.  

This larger bed has carrots, beans and peppers. The three peppers in the front are ones I started.  There were two in each of those cups so I transplanted one from each to the back side of the bed. Can you see the squash on the far left.  It's a volunteer that I hope is butternut so I'm going to let it grow.

These banana peppers are almost ready for picking.  They are on a plant I purchased.  

The jalapeño also has small peppers on it that I can pick any day I need them.

The tomato in the middle is a Rutgers and gave me my first tomato.  The four in each corner are ones I started.

Under the netting is broccoli from which I got a nice head today.  I also have zucchini starts in there.

I took all the garlic scapes off before vacation and we had them in spring rolls.  Won't be long before the garlic needs to be harvested.

Here's another bed of tomatoes.  The two on the left were purchased plants and the others are my starts.

Cucumbers are up and more lettuce in front.

I took a lot of basil from this bed today.

These are butternut squash that my Mom started before she moved to assisted living.  I hope they produce.

And here's the first tomato.  Not very big. I put it into the zucchini and it dissolved.

Bird Sightings - Thousand Islands, NY

Wild Bird Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

More Photos of Wildlife

Harvest on Return from Vacation

Back from a relaxing week in Thousand Island Park, NY.  

In the garden lovely heads of broccoli awaited me and so did the remaining stand of snow peas. I pulled one carrot too to see what it looked like.  All went into a stir fry with thinly sliced pork last night.

Other harvesters at Daphnes Dandelions.